Saturday, December 27, 2014

This would give you an indication of mobile device usage in this country.

A study conducted by TNS which includes more than 150,000 interviews across 56 countries on consumers' online behaviour shows that Malaysia is 1 out of only 5 places in the world where smartphone usage has outstripped computers.

The 5 countries where smartphone usage has outstripped computers are:

The study found that in Malaysia, 35% of the users surveyed said that they exclusively use their smartphones and no other device to access the Internet, making Malaysia the #1 country in the world when it comes to smartphone Internet access exclusivity.

The same high smartphone adoption pattern stretched across the rest of the Asia Pacific region with many of the countries above the 50% adoption mark. Even countries that traditionally have lagged behind have registered significant growth like Vietnam at 36%, up 16 percent from 2013.

Apart from Malaysia, the only smartphone-only Internet access was true for other Asian countries:

Vietnam: 24%
Singapore: 16%
South Korea: 14%
Hong Kong: 14%

In the Western world this trend is a single-digit one, e.g. Germany is at 7%, and the UK at 6%.

Search engines

Using search engines on smartphones is ubiquitous. 72% of Malaysians do this at least once a month, and the figures are even higher in the rest of Asia - Singapore: 88%, Vietnam: 92%, Korea: 99%, Japan: 91%. This is a global trend with the UK, France and Germany all reporting figures of 88%.

On internet penetration

Malaysians have at least 1.2 Internet-enabled devices, which underlines the importance of the multi-screen trend: using more than one device to achieve a task, or using devices simultaneously.

"This research clearly shows that Asian consumers have taken charge of the internet, and are shaping it in their own image - Malaysians are at the forefront of this trend, using their mobile devices to access news, look for local businesses and watch videos." - Sajith Sivanandan, MD, Google Malaysia.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Just 2 years after introducing Renewable Energy incentive program, Japan is now setting stricter rules for production and sales of energy generated from renewable sources.

Reason: To speed up development of projects and ensure stable power supply.

Windmills on the tip of the Nemuro Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido.Image from The Japan Times

The new renewable rules

As in many other renewable energy projects around the world, similar projects here haven’t started even years after winning approval.

The new rules allow utilities to strip a renewable energy provider of grid access if they miss the start date.

The same can happen if they fail to pay for access within a month of signing a contract.

The rule allows utilities to reduce or stop intake of renewable energy (wind and solar power) for up to 30 days a year without compensating the suppliers. Applicable for when supply exceeds demand, this is for producers with capacity of 500 kW and above.

In essence

Under new rules, it will apply to solar and wind projects of any size — including residential rooftops — according to a separate ministry document. In addition, the maximum period for no compensation will be calculated by hour not daily to better reflect demand and supply.

The measures come after at least five of the country’s utilities began restricting the access of new solar farms to their grids earlier this year and examined how much more clean energy their grids can add.

Grid capacity in Japan is tight and it is said that renewable energy providers will only receive grid access from a utility when they agree not to be compensated for reducing output.

The Green Mechanics:
It seem that Japan (not only us) is also not bothered to upgrade their grid either. But some say it's more than that; a reader blamed some corrupt interested parties trying to ward off RE emergence:

"This is the corrupt Japanese electricity industry fighting against solar, duh. This is the same industry that has split Japan into two incompatible grids that creates massive overbuilding and interconnect. Nationalize the electricity industry, reorganize it into municipal control of the distribution substations and grids, and let the greater grid ISO, run a fair and open gov regulated market. The distributions substation entities then buy and sell electricity on the great grid market."- B. Donovan, REW Magazine

Well, in order to have a better idea of what's happening there, one has to examine closer the situation in Japan. We can't read an article from one part of the globe and draw conclusion/comment/opinion.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Here is some pedal power. You've heard about the idea of solar roadways which has been around for some time, but how about solar bike paths?

That is an idea that the Dutch are already putting into use with the 70-metre SolaRoad, billed as a world's first. RenewableEnergyWorld highlights the €3 million ($3.74 mil) path, which powers street lights and houses and features solar cells under a layer of tempered glass.

70-metre solar path that costs €3 mil (RM13 mil) to build

The surface of the road has been treated with a special non-adhesive coating

If you ask me, I'd say this is not a showcase of energy or resources efficiency, but this is an idea that might bring about some interesting results; we'll see.

An insightful comment from a reader read as follow:

"2000 cyclists over crystalline silicon panels? Let me get this right. Its more or less the same as 2000 leaves of shade over a rooftop panel? Am I right? I think your road's angle is not the only obstacle. Hope you also got some good termo conduction underneath those panels, for my guess is that they will run hotter, further dropping output. You should rather have roofed the pathway with the panels, shade for the cyclists, as well as an umbrella for rain." - PJ Van Staden, REW magazine.

The trees, when fully grown, could reduce the energy production further.

The bike road would be very useful to commuters and school children and could be a cool part of their daily commute. Approximately 2,000 cyclists are expected to use it on an average day.

The road, named by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) as SolaRoad, is made up of rows of crystalline silicon solar cells, which were embedded into the concrete of the path and covered with a translucent layer of tempered glass.

Since the path cannot be adjusted to the position of the sun, the panels will generate approximately 30% less energy than those placed on roofs. However, the road is tilted slightly to aid water run-off and achieve a better angle to the sun and its creators expect to generate more energy as the path is extended to 100 metres in 2016.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

A two-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu to a small town, Kundasang, in Ranau district is not a bad idea to spend the weekend and unwind from a hectic work week. That's what we did today.

In particular we drove up to Desa Cattle Dairy Farm before finally checking in at Dream World Resort at Mesilau. Desa Cattle is situated about 100km from Kota Kinabalu and it is an ideal destination for the whole family. Viewed from certain perspectives, you can be forgiven to mistake it for sceneries captured at temperate countries.

Some activities you can do there include feeding the calves with bottled milk, feeding the goats with grass, watching firsthand the milking process, and learn how milk is processed. Of course, you can take all your time enjoying the beautiful surroundings and take nice pictures.

Here's some captures from our trip to Desa Cattle dairy farm:

The road leading to the farm is harsh gravel but it's no more than 500m. Still it's a bit taxing for small compact cars.

Gateway to the dairy farm. Adult pay RM4.00 and children RM3.00

More parking space than before

The cows are grazing further away from visitors nowadays.

The milking process

This guy loves fresh milk and grass. You can get some for a fee and help feed him.

-------------------------------------------------Lodging:

Dream World Resort is quite new, it opened for business in May 2010 and because it is located right at the foot of Mt. Kinabalu you can expect cool and fresh mountain air with the scenic view of Kundasang town. If you are lucky enough you will be able to see the majestic mountain; more often than not, this area is enveloped by misty cloud.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Except for my iPhone 5S, I haven't upgraded the operating system of my mobile devices to iOS 8 yet. Maybe not yet until all the earlier hiccups are de-bugged.

But this would be handy once I've decided to upgrade. I'll keep this for my future reference.

AirDrop was introduced in the iOS 8

With Yosemite, Apple has tried to make it easier for you to move files between devices. This is something we've been able to do with File Sharing between Macs and PCs, but now we have the option to move files between Macs and iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches running iOS 8.

This is how it works.

On your iOS device running iOS 8 or later, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. You'll see an AirDrop entry. Tap on it and you have three options -- Off, Contacts Only, and Everyone.

Off means, that this device will be invisible to others using AirDrop.

If someone who've you added as a contact on your iOS device would like to transfer a file, they can when you select Contacts Only.

The Everyone option lets anyone use it. We'll choose Everyone.

Now let's move to the Mac.

On your Mac, open a Finder window and select AirDrop. Anyone around you using the same Wi-Fi network that has AirDrop enabled for Everyone (or if you're in their contacts) will appear. To copy a file from the Mac to the device, just drag the file on top of their icon. The recipient will be asked if they want to accept or decline the transfer. When they accept, the file is copied to their device.

To go in the other direction -- from iOS device to Mac -- select AirDrop on the Mac and configure the Allow me to be discovered by option. Let's choose Everyone. For this to work we must keep this window open as that tells others that we're open to an AirDrop transfer.

On the iOS device, choose a file that you want to transfer, tap on the Share menu, and you should see the person or device you wish to transfer the file to. Tap on their image and the file will start to transfer. The person receiving the file can choose to save or open the file, decline it, or save it. The received file will appear in the Mac's Downloads folder.

Friday, November 14, 2014

This should be good news for all stakeholders and especially to the consumers, as this would mean lesser power interruptions.

Kimanis Power Plant (KPP), managed by Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd, became fully operational with the commencement of its third generating block on November 7, 2014.

The third generating block will add an additional 95MW of electricity to the Sabah grid, in addition to the 190MW already generated by the first and second blocks, which started operating in May and July of 2014, respectively. The third block is also the final block to be commissioned in KPP.

Long overdue project

The power plant project is scheduled for full completion in 32 months' time, from Apr 1, 2011 and the first commercial operation date for the first generating block is December 1, 2013.

The Kimanis Power Plant will be the biggest IPP plant Sabah (until such time that a bigger one comes in) and it will take great responsibility in supplying reliable and clean electricity to Malaysians in Sabah.

The short term energy demand should be taken care of for now but more such facilities must be constructed to meet the fast increasing peak demand. According to SESB, electricity demand in Sabah is expected to reach 1,500 MW by the year 2020.

The completion of this project will deliver the additional electricity supply that is crucial in propelling Sabah's future growth. We've lost ground with other states in terms of foreign direct investment due to our inability to meet energy requirement by the investors.

Preferably, there should also be some investment in renewable energy such as hydroelectric, biomass/biogas and solar photovoltaic.

Utilities in Japan have curtailed grid-connections for large installations (an action that utilities in the US state of Hawaii had already taken), and the upcoming end of Japan’s popular FiT has led to lowered expectations for future growth.

The government in China’s early 2014 focus on rooftop PV proved unworkable due to inappropriate roof construction.

In the U.S. anxiety over upcoming changes to the ITC at the end of 2016 is affecting development of large projects.

There is continued slowing of markets in Europe including uncertainty over the market in the UK going forward.

Some points to keep in mind as 2014 nears its end:

A project that is sold while in development is not a new project announcement and recounting can lead to oversizing current development activity.

Solar modules that are acquired by a traditional manufacturer should not be counted as shipped by the acquiring manufacturer. For example, a manufacturer with 2.4-GWp of cell capacity and 3-GWp of module assembly can only be given credit for 2.4 (in a perfect world) of shipments, the other 600-MWp came from someone else.

Grid connections and installations are not synonymous. Grid connections can lag installations by months or even a year. The installation comes first; grid connection comes later.

This year the top markets for PV were China, Japan and the U.S. REW expects the market in China to continue growing strongly in 2014 now that the emphasis on rooftop installations has receded. Japan, despite recent actions by utilities, had strong growth for most of 2014.

The Green Mechanics' two cents:
That 1% regional demand share in South East Asia is about 400MWp and most of the installed capacity is in Thailand. We have quite a good FiT model in Malaysia but the growth pace looks a tad slow. Perhaps a 2% levy for renewable energy fund would help.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Really? Maybe, but for a big news such as this, it is unlikely that the power utility has no knowledge of.

Daily Express, Sunday, 2 November 2014

It was earlier reported that Sabah was looking at 3 new power plants with 1MDB expected to secure two:

A 400MW gas-fired plant to be located either in Lahad Datu or Sandakan, and

A hydro plant in Ulu Padas which is expected to generate 180MW of power

If 1MDB is to be in any way involved with the implementation of these projects, or any power projects in the state, we'd better make sure that it is done in an open bidding process, in line with the government's transparency policy. We do not want to see another lop-sided power purchase agreement with an IPP.

On whether we will have sufficient power in the near future, this is what the power utility has to say:

"Currently, with 2new Independent Power Producers (IPPs) operating in Kimanis - Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd (KPSB) operating 190MW and SPR Energy (100MW) - there is still a comfortable reserve margin of more than 25%. Another 95MW is due to come on stream at KPSB by early next month, which would be sufficient to meet the power requirement for the next one to two years." - Bernama, 1 November 2014

That's good to know. But with many ageing equipment in its keeping, it looks like we are more of doing 'fire fighting' than building reserve margin.

Speaking of transparency, 1MDB had an attempt at bulldozing a big solar farm in Kedah back in April this year. This was supposed to be the largest solar farm in the country with generating capacity of 50MW.

We have no update yet if this has gone into implementation but if it has, then this is robbery. Or in a more polite term, the least fair play in the so called 'electronic bidding' mechanism for solar quota.

The Star, 23 April 2014

The Green Mechanics:

We have nothing against 1MDB making a mark here. In fact this would benefit the people in term of direct investment into the state, and eventually better power for the consumers. But it must be transparent and fair to the other players.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

SESB believes it is not to blame for the soaring house price in the state.

I tend to agree. Between 2011 and now the utility company has reduced the Capital Contribution (a sum contributed by the developer when applying for power supply for an intended project), twice - once in 2011 another one early this year.

From mathematical point of view you would expect the the price to have been reduced, if Capital Contribution is even a factor. But the cost of properties doesn't follow mathematical logic, you say. Perhaps. But the cost should follow logical thinking.

If it is a factor in determining the cost of a house, for instance, then there should be price reduction in those years when the capital contribution was revised. Or, at least distribute the benefit to the buyers in a tangible form; by withholding the fast soaring house price. Fair enough?

Clipping from local daily, the Daily Express on 4 October 2014.

Point aside, Daily Express never fail to amaze me with so many oversights. The person in the above picture (inset) is not Abd Razak. He's the former Managing Director of SESB, Ir. Baharin Din. Come on! Give Ir. Abd Razak Sallim some face. You are not doing your homework as reporter. I've seen more than once in your paper that Abd Razak was given a 'new face'.

------------------------------------

Back to business. Really, soaring house price should not be blamed on SESB. It's a lame excuse on the part of the developers. But ideally, SESB should bear the cost of supplying power to the consumer; if not now maybe in the near future when is has factored in this cost into its power tariff.

I had a recent experience of upgrading the power supply to one of our facilities - a 1500KVA substation. Apart from the capital contribution of over RM200k, we were also asked to bear the cost of installing additional switchgear for a 2-in-1-out 11kV supply system. This, according to SESB, is in the name of 'supply security' because if supply from Source A failed, Source B would automatically kick in and supply to our facility would not be disrupted. Now, in the name of 'supply security' the utility company should be the one to pay for it rather than the end user.

The onus is on them to ensure better power supply. Not me, not you the consumers.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

For the architects and landscapers with 'green tint' at the back of their mind, it would be interesting to find out if solar energy and energy efficiency can blend well with beautiful architecture. Folks at Spotlight Solar came up with this idea.

Likely applications

Suitable for commercial and public properties of many kinds - schools, science museums, city halls - these unique products help in differentiating system integrators services and brand. They could dramatically elevate the visibility of your buildings.

'Curve' offers striking and functional design. It is fresh and inviting, bending toward the sun and visitors.

'Lift' design offers flexibility and dynamic look.

Also a great idea for landscape design.

They build structures that complement other energy projects, adding reputation value to the ROI on green building investments. By making solar more visible and attractive, they hope to accelerate the adoption of solar energy.

The Green Mechanics: Put solar panels where people can see them. And like them.

Source: Spotlight Solar, http://www.spotlightsolar.com. All photos are shared from their website.

Extrapolating the US prices, taking into account previous pricing for Malaysia market, and making approximation of the Singapore conversion, the following gives you the estimated prices for Malaysia market:

With the iPhone going into the 5-inch display territory, we can expect the Cupertino based phone maker to regain some lost ground here. I was hoping the iPhone 5S came with at least 4.7" display; it never did.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Been itchy to blog for a long time now, and the slow pace in the implementation of the RE and the never ending power supply issues here seem to flame this urge even more. But the semester is busy and blogging has to take the back seat for now.

Anyway, this popped up in my 'green stuff' email subscription recently. Apparently, in the name of efficiency and adaptability, some innovative architects in Iran came up with weather defying house design: A house with 90o rotating rooms. How about that for creativity.

Rotate your room according to the sun position, season or for functional requirement. Photo sourced from archdaily.

Called the Sharifi-ha House, it is a seven-floor house in Tehran with three rectangular rooms that can rotate up to 90o in accordance with the season. The design was inspired by Iranian mansions that had separate living rooms for both summer and winter.

When extended outward, the spaces offer each floor its own terrace. The rooms serve a functional purpose as well - the lowest is a breakfast area, the middle a home office and the top was planned as a guest room.

How it work

The owner is importing CNC and other similar industrial German machines, and the structural system is to be fabricated in Germany. This custom CNC-machined mechanisms functions like the turntables used at auto shows.

"In summertime, Sharifi-ha House offers an open/transparent /perforated volume with wide, large terraces. In contrast, during Tehran’s cold, snowy winters the volume closes down, offering minimal openings and a total absence of those wide summer terraces." - archdaily

Source: If you are interested, there is extensive details here at archdaily.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

As I travel quite a lot these days, battery life of my mobile devices become a bit of a concern. This is more so as I don't carry with me backup battery or power bank. Sure, there are some power socket outlets there at major airports, but they are limited and you find most of the time that, someone is already sitting near that corner doing the obvious.

WRT battery life, there are many little rules for what you can and can't do with your smartphone. While plenty of real rules exist, there are several rumored ones you can simply ignore. Let's look at the 5 phone charging myths (as debunked by mashable) I read this while sitting at the airport waiting to board the plane:

Myth 1: Using off-brand chargers destroys batteries.

The truth: Off-brand chargers, while not optimal, are fine.

It's knockoffs you should avoid. Don't go for cheap brand knockoff chargers when you can at least purchase inexpensive, off-brand chargers (as long as they're made by legitimate retailers. Some experiment to of comparison: knockoffs and off-brand models.

Myth 2: You shouldn't use your phone while it charges.

The truth: Use it all you want, as long as you're not using a disreputable third-party charger.

There are scary reasons behind this myth. People believe that using a phone while charging will make the phone explode, or electrocute the user. That actually happened to a Chinese flight attendant named Ma Ailun in July 2013, when she used her iPhone 4 while it was charging.

The truth: Your phone is smarter than you think. Once it's fully juiced up, it knows to stop charging. That means the battery isn't even in use at all.

However, that doesn't mean you should be charging your phone all night, every night. You wouldn't fill a cup with water if it was already full, would you? Your battery life will last longer if you keep your phone charged between 40% and 80%.

Myth 4: You don't need to turn your phone off - ever.

The truth: Your phone may be a machine, but it still needs to take a few breaks. An Apple Genius said that in order to maximize battery life, you should turn off your phone from time to time, especially when you go to bed at night.

At the very least, Apple experts recommend turning your phone off once a week in order to preserve battery life.Turning off your phone is important for Android devices as well. A simple reboot can help restore battery life.

Myth 5: Don't charge your phone until it's completely dead.

The truth: It's better to charge your phone every day than to do a "deep charge" from time to time.

Lithium-ion batteries, like the kind used in Samsung and Apple products fare better when they're charged. If you constantly let them drain to 0%, they become unstable. Your battery has a finite number of charge cycles, and every time it fully dies, that's another cycle out the window.

Alright, okay, at lease we have one fact about phone charging:-

Fact: Heat will ruin a battery.

The truth: This is absolutely true. Heat and tech don't generally go hand-in-hand, and that's no different with phone batteries. Lithium-ion batteries heat themselves, and get hotter while they're being charged. Cold weather can also have a negative impact on a phone's life, and a cold battery will die faster than usual in low temperatures.

Your phone will be safe if you keep it within its recommended temperatures; Apple says 32o F (0o C)is the lowest recommended temperature for an iPhone's environment. Samsung, on the other hand, guarantees its phones can function anywhere between -4 (-20o C) and 122o F (50o C).

____________________________________________________________________________Note: Phone batteries have evolved so much over the years, becoming smarter and easier to manage. Most lithium-ion batteries, used by major retailers, should last between three and five years, if you take proper care of it.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Tonight (tomorrow morning), football fans from around the world will witness the unfolding of what seemed to be a nail-biting final match of this year’s World Cup: Germany versus Argentina.

I am an England supporter but with their World Cup campaign cut short, I am now rooting for Germany. But that's my preference, you are absolutely free to support your favourite team. So, let's watch likes of Messi and Muller play in few hour's time.

Meanwhile, here are some facts about both teams:

Their distinctive roads to the final:

May the best team win. I will update this page as soon as the final result is known tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

With installed capacity of 9 MW, no other sporting facility in the world has larger solar farm than Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).

Brazil's World Cup stadiums such as Mane Garrincha and Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto have PV arrays installed on their rooftops but theirs are smaller in size - up to 2.5 MW. In Europe, Verona’s Bentegodi football stadium is fitted with 1 MW of solar PV module.

The 9-MW solar PV farm at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The facility was unveiled early July 2014. Image: REW

“In 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed in part to help advance the automotive industry, which at that time was the new technology of the day. Today, the unused land at the IMS property just east of the race track has been transformed into a solar energy production facility that will provide an alternative source of energy to IPL customers.” - J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president.

About the IMS solar farm

Installation size

:

9 MW

PV module used

:

Over 39,300 pcs

Installer

:

Sunwize Technologies

Generated power

:

To be used first by the sporting facility

Excess power to be fed back to the power grid, through PPA

TheGreenMechanics: That's Cool! Thumbs up.

What the folks at Indiana Motor Speedway did was utilise the dormant space near the backstretch of the racetrack and turn it into energy farm. I guess, for the guys running the sporting facility, it's a straight forward kind of idea and one that is sensible, doable; it's just a matter of what to decide and when.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

I'd love to have this onboard AirAsia's Airbus as I will be travelling frequently in the second half of this year. If correctly priced, in-flight broadband would be a hit among today's connected generation.

I would be one of those passengers who'd subscribe to such services.

How it works. Image from Thaicom's service provider, row44.com

Another first for Thailand

Thailand's leading satellite operator, Thaicom has become the first in the Asia Pacific region to introduce commercial in-flight connectivity services using Ku-band to provide broadband on commercial flights beginning in August 2014.

The nation's premium low cost carrier Nok Air, which clocks about 48,000 flights per year will provide broadband Wi-Fi services on many of its aircraft starting in August - ranging from Internet access to other complimentary services in the future.

The Thaicom In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) broadband service, with its partner Global Eagle Entertainment/Row44, will be implemented as a value added service for Nok Air passengers. The service is capable of delivering 3G-like speed for a superior in-flight broadband experience.

"Nok Air is adding in-flight Wi-Fi to our existing complimentary services to increase the appeal to passengers, particularly the new generation who insist on connectivity." - Patee Sarasin, Chief Executive Officer of Nok Airlines

The carrier has already offered free broadband connection at airport boarding gates and the introduction of in-flight Wi-Fi is consistent with the airline's drive to be innovative. Cool!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I've been checking out New York's solar development on regular basis after learning about their Free Street Solar Chargers at selected locations within NYC and recently I saw this article in my email subscription.

New York has come up with several interesting incentives for solar projects carried out within the next 2 years. For us readers, it's sufficient to know they set aside $1 billion for this purpose, which is apart from existing ones.

But for SEDA (the body which manage the renewable energy projects implementation in Malaysia), they may want to look at it more detailed. There maybe nothing in it but there's no harm looking. The US is one of the nations with biggest capacity in new solar PV installation.

Following the recent announcement to commit an additional $1 billion to New York solar incentives over the next decade, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) unveiled the next anticipated funding program for large solar systems, over 200 kW in size. This round of funding closely resembles previous offerings, and does not appear to be part of the "megawatt block" structure highlighted in the April announcement.

Program Opportunity Notice (PON) went live in mid-May, promising $60 million in available incentives or more, to be awarded at NYSERDA's discretion. Applications are due July 17th, 2014 and all systems must come online by April of 2016.

Some changes from previous Large Solar Incentives

All New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) load zones are in play. Several favorable tweaks to this year's program, compared to earlier New York solar incentive rounds indicate a willingness on NYSERDA's part to see this program drive more project development this year than ever before.

In previous PONs for large projects, awardees received the full incentive amount in five payments — 30% at project completion paid out in two upfront installments, and 70% paid out as a PBI split between the first three years of production. In the new PON, 30% upfront payment occur in one installment instead of two, and the remaining 70% condensed to only two years' worth of production, paid at year's end.

Renewable Energy Storage and Efficiency

This program also incorporates several tie-ins to storage and efficiency for applicable solar projects, echoing the New York State Public Service Commission's recent landmark initiative rethinking New York's energy future.

An additional $50,000 in incentives may be awarded to each project that integrates energy efficiency or storage at the customer site. Energy efficiency projects must reduce energy use intensity (kBtu/sq ft/year) by at least 15% over the baseline energy use intensity.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Welcome back SIFF 2014. After a less-participated event last year, let's hope this year will be merrier.

Throughout the second week of June, culture vultures will be enthralled by the colours, rhythms and diversity of the world's folk dances right here in Kota Kinabalu. The 9th Sabah international Folklore Festival (SIFF) is an annual effort to promote peace and understanding through cultural understanding as dance troupes from around the world gather in the Land Below the Wind to showcase their unique folk dances.

The festival begins with a scheduled Sabah International Folklore Festival Parade at Lintasan Deasoka in Gaya Street on 9 June 2014, from 2.00pm to 5.00pm (barring last minute change). I was at such parade in 2012 and believe me, it's mesmerising.

Latvia folk dance during the 2012 SIFF parade at Lintasan Deasoka. Pic by de engineur

The premier show takes place on 12 June at the Tun Raffae Auditorium, Menara Tun Mustapha at 7.00pm. The highlight of the festival is none other than the International Folk Dance Competition on 13 and 14 June, where participating dance troupes will compete for the title of champion. The competition takes place at the Tun Raffae Auditorium.

Ticket prices:

RM30 - Adults
RM10 - Students below 17 years of age
International Folk Dance competition will be on 13th and 14th June 2014.
SIFF dates: 7 - 15 June 2014

You can also refer to the tentative programme schedule here. Kindly note that the competition venue has been changed from Sabah Cultural Centre Penampang to the Tun Raffae Auditorium at Menara Tun Mustapha in Likas.

Winning performance by the Chinese dance troupe in 2012. They did not take part last year.

TheGreenMechanics: It's about time you change your mindset about watching cultural performance - be willing to pay.

We did not go to the SIFF last year but did the previous year when it was won by the China dance troupe. We plan to come back to enjoy the performances this time around.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

We have seen Kumpulan Melaka Bhd commissioned its big solar farm quite recently at Melaka World Solar Valley and now Mudajaya - a construction company - has entered into this profitable but limited business of producing energy from solar.

The internal rate of return is (interpreted as) 14% to 16%. Starbiz, June 2, 2014

The headlines of this news would be:

Mudajaya has commissioned a 10-MW solar farm in Gebeng, Pahang, and signed a renewable energy power purchase agreement with Tenaga Nasional Bhd for a concession period of 21 years.

The feed-in-tariff (FiT) rates approved by the Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA) for phase I and II of the solar energy power development of 5 MW each are RM0.9016 per kilowatt hour (kWh) and RM0.8295 per kWh, respectively. - Page 2, Starbiz, June 2 2014

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Green Mechanics 2 cents:
No qualms at all on big players getting the big chunk of the limited solar PV quota, but being one of the public contributors to the Renewable Energy fund (you pay 1.6% on top of your electricity bills nowadays), I am entitled to my opinion that many, not just few, companies and organisations should be given better opportunity to participate.

If SEDA allocate, say, 65 MW of solar PV quota for 2014 then if big conglomerates get 'allocated' for 5MW or 10MW then only few would benefit from the fund.

And I thought all these companies would need to go through balloting process. Did Kumpulan Melaka and Mudajaya Group go through the lucky draw? Am I implying that some people negotiate to get quota rather than being lucky at the ballot box? No, but if there is one thing SEDA can do to eliminate doubts, it would be to periodically and frequently publish the on-goings at its office - e.g. Full report on applications, elimination process, eligible applicants, allocation register, list of companies and quota, etc. This would be on top of the updates it makes on its portal.

Don't expect people to keep coming to the website to check for news; reach out to the public by going to the mainstream media, newsletter, emails, etc. These people are your financiers!

Renewable Energy initiative should be an effort to first make the people aware by getting as many organisations as possible to participate. Thereafter, you can embark on capacity.

This may take longer to achieve the capacity target, but if your RE fund size is only that big then that's the pace you have to make do with.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

After a failed Load Rejection Test last month, Kimanis Power Plant finally kicked start commercial operation of of its power plant, which I 'suppose' is good news.

When I posted about the LRT (with high hope) last month, Mr Turbineman (Thomas Lee) commented it normally points to not-so-good news and true enough this KPP had issues with gas supply from SOGT, which was not even the test itself, and that lead to postponement of the LRT. Subsequent test was carried out later and an engineer friend who works there said KPP was ready to go supply power. Soon afterward the power plant came online on 16 May 2014.

First 100 MW block starts operation

The Petronas Group achieved another milestone for its business in Sabah when Petronas Gas Berhad's subsidiary, Kimanis Power Sdn Bhd (KPSB), started the commercial operations of the first 100 MW block of its Kimanis Power Plant (KPP) in Kimanis on May 16.

The KPP, one of several petroleum and energy related projects developed by the Petronas Group in Sabah, is expected to contribute significantly to the reliability and security of power supply in the State, once fully operational.

The three-blocks, 300 MW gas-fired power plant is a key project in the "Power Up Sabah" initiative, established under the Malaysian Economic Transformation Plan (ETP).

The plant utilises natural gas from offshore Sabah.

Besides strengthening the Sabah electricity grid, the successful start of the commercial operations is a significant milestone in providing a reliable source of energy towards supporting the State's economic growth.

A joint venture between Petronas PGB and Yayasan Sabah's subsidiary NRG Consortium (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, the plant's first block's commercial operations date (COD) of May 16 2014 was within the targeted schedule announced in February this year.

Chairman of KPSB, Yusa' Hassan, said this achievement was a significant milestone for the company after many months of meticulous planning and hard work. The COD for the plant's second and third 100 MW blocks is scheduled in the third quarter of 2014.

PGB owns 60% of KPSB while NRG Consortium owns the remaining 40%.

TheGreenMechanics: Hope there'll finally be light at the end of the never ending 'blackout' tunnel!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Harvest Festival or what is locally known as Pesta Kaamatan for Penampang district was held on 17 May 2014 at Tun Fuad Stephen multipurpose hall in Donggongon town, officiated by Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin. This year's Harvest Festival (Tadau Kaamatan) theme:

"Koubasanan - Impoon do Pibabasan om Piombolutan"

"Culture - Foundation of Peace and Friendship"

"Kebudayaan - Asas Keamanan dan Persahabatan"

Following the old age tradition, the peak of the celebration is the beauty pageant or known locally as Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan. I was a bit late in joining the other photographers but space was ample as other districts were celebrating at their respective place the same day. Here are some of the pictures:-